Category: Fashion

Autumn has to be my favourite time of the year. The trees change colour, I can unpack all my fluffy jumpers and it’s perfectly acceptable not to shave your legs every week. I always pack away my warm clothes each year, so by the time the season rolls around again, I’ve forgotten what I have and it’s almost like having a new wardrobe. I tend to unpack everything around October so I have a chance to wear all those things that are too-warm-for summer and not-warm-enough for winter.

October is also the time most stores go on a mid-season sale so the high street is littered with those brig red signs that are somehow an irresistible lure to go into the store. Most of the time, the stuff in there are rejects from the summer lines but now and then you can find a few things that will work layered up for autumn/winter. As it happens, I did not actually pick up anything from the sales this month but they definitely worked to lure me in store/online and got me spending some cash.

Timberland Slim Nellie Chukka Boots

I put these up first because they were purchased entirely because I went into an Office store to check out the sale. I had spotted the most darling pair of these boots in a light pink which were on sale for around £75 (down from £105 the label said) but when I tried them on, they seemed to dwarf my feet and just looked a bit odd in general. They were called the Kenniston Nellie boots and though I didn’t like that particular style, the seed was sown and I wanted a pair of Timberland boots. So I went on to the Office website and found that Timberland does a slimmer version of the Chukka boot called the ‘Nellie‘ for £120. I wanted a pair in grey but they didn’t have my size in stock so I decided to buy them in black – a safe choice I know but I figured I could always exchange them if they looked too boring. I read through a number of the the reviews before and the only complaint seemed to be that the shoes were a bit narrow so not suitable for wider feet. They arrived around 3 days later – not bad service from Office* as the order was shipped for free.

I tried them on immediately of course and completely fell in love! They are at the same time edgy and chic and look great being dressed down or up. They’re also super flattering in black, especially when worn with black skinny jeans and make my legs look a lot slimmer! I have to agree with the reviews that said they do have a narrow fit though so something to bear in mind if you have wider feet. I don’t regret buying the black but I think I will definitely be buying a couple more pairs – perhaps in the camel/khaki colours.

Image coming soon

*I loved the boots so much, I talked my boyfriend into getting a pair as well. The service in the Kingston Office store was terrible and we ended up walking out having waited 15 minutes for an assistant to bring us the shoes we wanted. We found out that there is an actual Timbaland store in Kingston though so ended up going there and their service was first class!

A collection of things from Primark/Zara

Now I know Primark can be one of those stores that polarises people but personally, I find you can pick up great basics and casual pieces for a reasonable price. I also think they’ve really upped their game recently and have been spot-on in producing stuff that allows people to buy a designer inspired piece without breaking the bank.

I picked up a yellow/blue plaid shirt because you can never have enough plaid shirts and I don’t have one in mustard yellow. These are so easy too style on their own, under a jumper or with a few buttons undone and a pretty, lacy cami peeking through. The khaki shirt is quite straightforward – it’s a plain, long shirt that is easily worn with leggings, tucked into jeans or tied at the waist. The floral top had my eye for a while; I’d seen it on a couple of previous trips to the store and since it always caught my attention, I decided to pick it up this time. Again, it can be worn on it’s own with a nice bralette underneath or over a cami/tank top.

The yellow geometric scarf is from Zara. I fell in love with the pattern instantly so it was definitely an impulse buy. Having worn it once, I’m going to save it for winter as it’s a bit too warm to be worn in autumn.

Hair care from Bumble & Bumble and Phillip Kingsley

The B&B shampoo smells just like B&B’s Thickening Hairspray – which I love!

I got all the haircare products from www.lookfantastic.com which is my favourite place to shop for items like this. I can take my time to read up and not have the pressure or expectation from a store assistant that I will pick it up right there and then.

Bumble & Bumble is one of my favourite haircare brands and I absolutely swear by their Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil Primer for protecting and keeping my hair manageable. I was looking for a clarifying shampoo when I came across B&B’s Sunday Shampoo (£20) which claims to be a clarifying shampoo containing Ginseng, Rosemary & Sage. Lookfantastic.com says that the shampoo removes buildup and recommends using it once a week.

I was also looking to switch from my current shampoo and conditioner (Alterna Caviar Moisturising shampoo/conditioner) and after a little research on volumising shampoos, I found the Phillip Kingsley Body building range. Lookfantastic has some bundle deals available where you can get the elasticizer as well, but I decided to just purchase the shampoo and conditioner which cost me £15.70 for the shampoo and £18.70 for the conditioner.

I’ve used the Sunday Shampoo twice and it was fabulous – left my hair squeaky clean and full of body afterwards. It also smells a lot like B&B’s Thickening Hairspray which I absolutely love as well! I haven’t used the Phillip Kingsley range enough to say much about whether they’ve worked. Both products seem to do a good enough job but I haven’t yet noticed a huge amount of body from just the shampoo & conditioner.

I also bought a few things to add to my make-up collection – the Morphe x Jaclyn Hill palette and a couple of things from Fenty beauty. There’s a lot to say about them though so I will talk about them in another post.